Overhead tramway-switch



C T. JUDD.

OVERHEAD TRAMWAYJSW'ITCH. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1921- 1,377, 1 34. Patented May 3, 1921.

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CHARLES T. J'UDD, OF SO'MERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO DUNCAN COMPANY, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF 'IVIASSACHU- SETTS.

OVERHEAD TRAMWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d M 3 192 Application filed January 13,1921. Serial No. 436,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES. T. June, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Somerville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Overhead Tramway-Switches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in overhead switches for tramway rail systems such as are ordinarily used in beef houses, cold storage houses and in other places where the load is suspended from a traveler riding along the rail system.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch for use in any type of rail system wherein the traveleris provided with flanged guides such for example as flanged wheels riding on both the top and bottom edges. of the rails and generally knownas the safety t e. 1 V

The nature and objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description. and drawingsand .will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

i The invention may be embodiedin various 1 forms of switches operated in various ways 30- andacting to connect and disconnect rails arranged in diflerentways but for convenience of disclosure of a preferred form; it is shown as embodied in a switch of the general type illustrated in the patent to Werner, No. 571,607, granted November 17,1896.

The drawings illustrate a simple and preferred form of switch of the general Werner type with a preferredxform of the present invention. embo died therein.

Inthe drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred form of switch embodying the invention in position for maintaining a continuous main rail with {a portion of the main rail; aportion'of a branch rail and a portion of a traveler shown in dotted'lines.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig; l'with the switch shown in position connecting the main' and branch ra ls. Fig. 3 is aview in transverse same construction shown inFig. 2.

' Fig. 4 is a detail in bottom plan view of the portion; of the main rail section shown in full lines in Fig. 1. l

section of the As the general type of overhead tramway system with which this invention is. concernedis well known and familiar to those skilled 1n the art no description is necessary. Such a system comprises rails usually formed of flat bars of-iron arranged vertically and supported from the ceiling by suitable hangers. The load such for example as a carcass o fbeef, is suspended from a traveler which rides along the rail. The upper end of such a traveler is shown as comprising a bar 1 having a flanged guide herein shown as a flanged wheel 2 straddling and riding upon the upper edge of the rail. In thetype of tramway shown the traveler is also provided w th a second flanged guide such for example as the flanged wheel 8 riding on the bottom edge of the rail. The use of the two flanged It is necessary insuch an overhead tramway system to move the traveler with its load from oner'ailto'another and when the flanged guides riding on the top and'bottom edges of the rail are employed as in this case it has heretofore been a diflicult problem to provide for the passage of the traveler from one rail to another. I passage of the traveler from one rail toanother is secured without releasing the hold of the flanged guide 3 at the bottom edge of the rail from the rail. 'T'hus the safety feature of the system is maintained by this invention.

In describing the invention one rail is herein referrred to as the main rail and anotherrail as the branch rail but these'terms are relative merely as either rail may bethe main rail and either rail the branch rail. i So also the main rail may be either straight or curvedasthe particular conditions may re- In this invention such quire. Intheillustration of the invention the mainraili 4 is for convenience shown as straight and the'branch rail 5 is for con venience shown as curved. p I The 'SWllJCl'l comprises a suitable support- 7 ing bracket which is secured at the side of the main rail i opposite the end of the branch rail 5. This may be effected in any desired manner. In theformsillustratedithe switch bracket is shown as a separate piece adapted to be bolted to the main rail 4L- bybolts passing through holes 7 and a portion of the main rail 8 is shown as formed integral with the bracket 6 but these are details which may be varied as desired, the only important feature being that the switch bracket is rigged with the main rail at the side of the main rail and opposite the end of the branch rail.

The upper portion 9 of a section of the main rail opposite the end ofthe branch rail,

on the top of the switch bracket and in this case the sliding movement is shown as a pivotal swinging movement, the section 9 and extension 10 being pivoted to the switch bracket by a vertical pivot 11. v

A second rail section 12 is also mounted on the switch bracket to move out of and into position to disconnect and connect the top edges of the main and branch rails. In the I particular form illustrated this section 12 is curved and when in position, as shown in Fig. 2, makes the top edge ofthe front rail 5 connect with the top edge of the main rail 4;. This second rail section 12 may also be mounted on the switch bracket and move out of and into position in any desired manner. It is convenientlyshown as swinging in a vertical direction its rearward extension 2 i being for that purpose pivoted on a hori- 40 the switch bracket.

zontal pivot on the upstanding arms 15 of The respective movements of the two switch sections may be effected in any desired manner. Preferably the movement of the one is effected by the movement of the other and this in turn preferably by a construction of the type shown in the Werner patent above mentioned. For this purpose the rail section 12 is provided with a stud of spur 16 adapted to enter and engage an aperture 17 in the first rail section. The rail section 12 is also'provided with a heel 18 adapted to contact with the lower edge 19 of the extension 10 of the rail section 9. i

In the form illustrated the rail section 12 is also preferably shown as the one which is operated and which in turn operatesthe rail section 9. For this purpose the rail section "12 has an upward andrearward inclined arm 20 to which an operating rod may be atv tached in the hole 21. The operation is similar to that shown in the Werner patent above noted. Assuming that the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and it is de sired to shift the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2 the operator pushes up on the arm 20 thus swinging the rail section 12 downwardly. As it falls into the connecting position with the branch rail the stud 16 enters the aperture 17 and withdraws, tl'ierail Section 9 from connecting position and the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to shift the switch from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 the operator pulls down on the arm 20 thus swinging the rail section 12 out of position. As this movement takes place the stud 16 acting against the front wall of the aperture 17 cams the rail section 9 into position and the final movement is given by the heel 18 pressing against the edge 19. The parts then assume the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein it will be noted the weight of the section 12 acts by gravity to'hold the'section 9 in place.

In this invention the lower portion of the main rail section 8 opposite the end of the branch rail 5 is provided with a recess 22 in its bottom edge at the point where the branch rail 5 ii prolonged would engage the main rail. The side walls 23 of this recess 22 are preferably beveled as illustrated to extend in thegeneral direction of the line of travel of the flanged guide 3 when passing between the main and branch rail.

This recess 22 does not interfere with the passage of the flanged guide 3ralong the bottom edge of'the main rail and with the beveled arrangements of the side walls shown one of the flanges 'ofthe flanged guide 3 the main rail when the guide passes the recess.

The second rail section12 in this invention is provided with a depending 'filler section 24 of a size and form such that when'it is in connecting position as shown in Fig. 2 it will continue the bottom edge of the branch section 5 up to the face of the main rail section 8 adjacent the recess 22. Preferably the inner edge 25 of this filler section 24: is beveled to enable it to fit quite closely against the outer face of the main rail when in connecting position. i f

It will now be seen that whenthe rail sec- 'will substantially always be in contact with tion 12 is in connecting position as shown in Fig. 2 the flanged guide 3 is permitted to pass between the main and branch rail and is controlled in itspassage by the filler section 241 and the recess22 so that it passes along a practically continuous railand can not be swung or jarred out of position.- 7

Thus the switch of this invention provides a system in which a main and branch rail may be connected or disconnected as desired and in which a traveler provided with top and bottom flanged guides may pass along either the main rail or branch rail and the main rail at the switching point and maintain a firm griponthe top and bottom 1 flanged guides riding on both the top and bottom edges of the rails comprising at switch bracket adapted to be secured at the side of the main rail opposite the end of a branch rail the upper portion of a section of the main rail opposite the end of the branch rail being mounted on the switch bracket and movable into and out of connecting position inthe main rail, the lower portion of said section having a recess to permit the passage of theflange of the bottom guide when passing between the main and branch rail, and a second rail section mounted on the switch bracket and movable out of and into position to disconnect and connect the top edges of the main and branch rails and provided with a depending filler section acting when in connecting po sitionto continue the bottom edge of the branch section up to the face of the main rail adjacent the recess and thus permit and control the passage of the flanges of the botltom guide between the main and branch rai s.

2. A switch having the construction defined in claim 1 together with means controlled by the movement of the one rail section into and out of connecting position for 7 moving the otherrail section out of and into connecting position.

3. A switchhaving the construction defined in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the main rail section is pivotally mounted on the switch bracket to swing vertically into and out of connecting position and in which the second rail section is 'slidably mounted onthe switch bracket to move into and out of connecting position.

4:. A switch having the construction defined in claim 1 in which the side walls of the recess are beveled to extend in-the general direction of the line of travel of the flanged guide in passing between the main and branch rail. 1

5. A switch having the construction defined in claim 1 in which the inner edge of the filler section is beveled to enable it to fit against the outer face of the main rail when in connecting position.

6. A switch having the construction defined in claim 1 in which the side Walls ofthe recess are beveled to extend in the general direction of the line of travel of the flanged guide when passing between the main and branch rail and in which the inner edge of the filler section is beveled to enable it to fit against the outer face of the main rail when in connecting position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES T. JUDD. 

